Joe Manchin's Memoir Reveals Tensions with Biden Over Build Back Better
Former West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin is releasing his memoir, "Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense," detailing his clashes with President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. The book highlights Manchin's opposition to Biden's Build Back Better proposal and the pressure campaign he faced to support it.
Manchin's Opposition to Build Back Better
Manchin, a key swing vote in the Senate, opposed the $2 trillion-plus Build Back Better package, citing concerns about its climate and tax provisions. In the memoir, obtained by ABC News, he recounts a private White House meeting where he told Biden the legislation was driven by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
"'Joe,' he said, 'the country needs you.'"
Manchin describes Biden grabbing his arm and attempting to persuade him. He also criticizes the Biden White House's handling of negotiations with House and Senate Democrats, particularly the progressive wing's efforts to tie the infrastructure package to the larger domestic agenda.
Criticism of Biden and the Democratic Party
Manchin expresses disappointment that Biden seemed "beholden to the elite and far-left social agenda" baked into the Build Back Better Act. He felt that Biden was losing touch with the values that defined his career. He recalled calling Biden "reckless" to his face over the American Rescue Plan negotiations.
After Manchin announced his opposition to the proposal on Fox News, he says he received a "hostile" voicemail from Biden and felt that Biden's public statement singling him out put his family "in harm's way." The two did not speak for three months afterward.
Manchin's "Revenge Tour" and Future Outlook
Manchin's memoir also criticizes former Presidents Barack Obama and Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and the late Harry Reid. He argues that the Democratic Party has shifted away from the "commonsense middle ground" due to its focus on "woke ideology, DEI mandates, and other social agendas." He even wanted Republicans to win the Senate majority in 2024 to preserve the filibuster.
Manchin suggests he should have switched parties when Donald Trump was elected in 2016, citing the demonization of the coal industry in his home state of West Virginia.
